Written Answers Tuesday 19 August 2008

Scottish Executive

Communities

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the £215,000 of public funding allocated to the Scottish Islamic Foundation came from the Race Equality, Integration and Community Support Fund.

Stewart Maxwell: No funding has been paid to the Scottish Islamic Foundation from the Race Equality, Integration and Community Support Fund.

Education

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the primary school population goes on to secondary school without achieving basic literacy requirements.

Maureen Watt: Within the 5-14 curriculum, the Scottish Government has assessed pupils’ skills in literacy by measuring achievements in reading and writing, through the Scottish Survey of Achievement.

  The most recently published results for reading were published in the 2006 SSA report, which can be found at www.scotland.gov.uk/ssa2006report. The most recently published results for writing were published in the 2007 SSA report, which can be found at www.scotland.gov.uk/ssa2007report.

  Improving literacy and numeracy skills is at the heart of the Curriculum for Excellence programme. Within the programme, literacy is defined as the set of skills which allows an individual to engage fully in society and in learning, through the different forms of language, and the range of texts, which society values and finds useful.

Education

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of children leaving P7 can read.

Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government does not define a level at which a pupil is judged to be able to read. Level D is considered to be the level most pupils should be able to reach by the end of P7. However, it is recognised as a challenging level at which pupils should demonstrate an awareness of genre and a knowledge of language associated with literature, as well as the ability to read for both information and enjoyment.

  The Scottish Survey of Achievement (SSA) is the principal national source of information about pupils’ attainment in primary and early secondary stages.

  The most recently published results for reading were published in the 2006 SSA report, which can be found at www.scotland.gov.uk/ssa2006report.

Education

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the education ministers will discuss with private schools ways in which such schools can do more for local communities and local schools to justify their charitable status, in advance of the review by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator.

Fiona Hyslop: At a recent meeting, with the Scottish Council of Independent Schools, I encouraged the independent sector to continue to work closely with local authorities (LAs) and schools across Scotland’s educational community to share and promote best practice for instance by supporting small special schools in the LA sector or by providing access to advanced highers to pupils at LA schools.

  Independent schools, like all other registered charities must pass the "public benefit" test developed by the Office of the Scottish Charities Regulator to retain their charitable status. It is a matter for each independent school to make its case to the satisfaction of the regulator.

Energy

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Communities and Sport has made any progress in encouraging Scottish Power to stop back-charging of prepayment meter customers.

Stewart Maxwell: Scottish Power advises that its meter replacement programme is progressing with 81% of prepayment customers in Scotland now having key meters which can be re-calibrated remotely meaning that the issue of back-charging does not arise. The programme is due to be completed by September 2009.

  Scottish Power assures me that they make every effort to gain access to homes to recalibrate meters and if they are not satisfied that proper procedures for meter reading and timeous re-calibration of meters has been carried out they will waive back-charges.

  I await the findings of Ofgem’s probe into the energy supply market which is expected in September. The probe is intended to make sure that the market is working well for all customers, including those on pre-payment meters.

Environment

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it estimates that local authorities will spend on maintaining core paths in each of the next four years.

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that local authorities spend adequate amounts on maintaining core paths.

Michael Russell: Under the concordat between the Scottish Government and COSLA, this government is investing record levels of funding in local government and provides local authorities with the opportunity to determine where resources should be allocated including how much to spend on maintaining core paths. Each authority has a single outcome agreement which includes a performance management system which aims to align local priorities with the aims of the Scottish Government.

Environment

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how community councils can undertake repair work on core paths in instances where landowners and land managers are reluctant to repair them.

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish a one-stop-shop system to allow local access authorities to undertake repair and maintenance work on core paths on behalf of community councils.

Michael Russell: Systems for the management and maintenance of core paths should be set up at the local, not the national level. We expect access authorities to take a lead in this, working with others in the local area, especially local access forums.

  Access authorities have been provided with powers under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, to do anything they consider appropriate for the purposes of maintaining a core path. They should be making provision to use these powers for the effective management and maintenance of their core path network.

Environment

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to simplify the process for local organisations accessing funds to maintain and repair core paths and whether it is aware of any concerns about the current system.

Michael Russell: The first point of contact for community organisations should be the local access authority, who should have a system in place for managing and maintaining the core path network, as indicated in the Guidance for Local Authorities and National Park Authorities issued by the Scottish Government in February 2005. It is up to the local access authority to address the concerns of any local organisations.

Fair Trade

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring and reporting procedures are in place in order to assess the progress and effectiveness of the Fair Trade Scotland Programme.

Linda Fabiani: The Scottish Fair Trade Forum receives a grant from the Scottish Government International Development Fund to drive forward the Fair Trade Scotland programme.

  Within the grant conditions, the forum is required to provide six-monthly and annual reports detailing their activities and progress towards meeting the Fair Trade Nation criteria. All reporting requirements to date have been met.

  As well as the formal reporting requirements, the forum is in regular dialogue with officials.

General Practitioners

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is monitoring the extent of the use of extended hours in GP surgeries.

Shona Robison: We are monitoring the take up of extended hours in GP surgeries through NHS boards. As of 1 August, over half of GP practices in Scotland have indicated that they intend to provide extended opening.

General Practitioners

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it is undertaking on the health needs of patients making GP appointments within the extended hours.

Shona Robison: The intention of extended hours is to increase the availability of routine GP appointments outside of normal office hours, regardless of the patient’s background or circumstance. We are, therefore, not undertaking research on the health needs of patients accessing GP appointments during extended hours.

General Practitioners

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it is undertaking on the appropriateness of usage of GP appointments within the extended hours.

Shona Robison: The intention of extended hours is to increase the availability of routine GP appointments outside of normal office hours, regardless of the patient’s background or circumstance. There is in principle no restriction on who may book an extended hours appointment although they will be of most benefit to patients who are unable to attend during normal office hours and GP practices may encourage other patients to make use of existing in-hours appointments whenever possible. We are, therefore, not undertaking research on the health needs of patients accessing GP appointments during extended hours.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospitals (a) have and (b) do not have specialist pharmacists advising on the use of antibiotics in both the prevention and treatment of Clostridium difficile.

Nicola Sturgeon: The  Antimicrobial Prescribing Policy and Practice 2005,  and Scottish Management of Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan 2008  guidance documents called for all NHS boards to establish an Antimicrobial Management Team (AMT), which would include an antimicrobial pharmacist, to cover both primary and secondary prescribing activities.

  The Scottish Antimicrobial Prescribing Group (SAPG), advised that not all NHS boards have an established AMT, and therefore the HAI Task Force has announced in CEL30 2008 on 8 July 2008, funding of £40,000 for each mainland NHS board and £20,000 for Island Boards for 2009-10 and 20010-11, with two thirds for the current financial year, to enable each NHS board to rapidly appoint an antimicrobial pharmacist.

International Development

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what international development work is being undertaken in countries other than Malawi.

Linda Fabiani: As stated in our new International development policy, published in May 2008, the Scottish Government is starting new programmes in Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia and the Darfur region of Sudan, as well as the Indian subcontinent.

  In addition, some programmes supported under previous international development funding rounds are still on-going in several countries of Sub-Saharan Africa as well as in Sri Lanka.

International Development

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings or events have taken place between its officials and the relevant communities of Scotland in taking forward proposals for the Indian Subcontinent Development Programme, in establishing a focus for Indian subcontinent development engagement and in setting out a process and timetable for funding rounds.

Linda Fabiani: The Indian subcontinent programme is being developed at present and an engagement process with relevant communities in Scotland will start later this year.

  A process and timetable for funding will be announced in due course.

International Development

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings have taken place with officials from the Indian subcontinent to discuss working arrangements for the Indian Subcontinent Development Programme.

Linda Fabiani: Initial meetings have taken place informally with both the India and Pakistan Consul Generals. Further meetings with stakeholders will be set up in due course including the Network of International Development Organisations in Scotland (NIDOS).

  In addition, the India and Pakistan Consul Generals and the Bangladesh Honorary Consul have accepted invitations to join the International Development Advisory Group chaired by the Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture.

International Development

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what development priorities have been identified in respect of the Indian Subcontinent Development Programme and by whom.

Linda Fabiani: The Indian subcontinent programme is being developed at present and discussions with relevant stakeholders are underway. Decisions on development priorities will be announced in due course.

International Development

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money from the International Development Fund will be allocated to the Indian Subcontinent Development Programme.

Linda Fabiani: The Indian subcontinent programme is being developed at present and decisions on how funding is to be allocated will be announced in due course.

Kinship Care

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-14851 by Adam Ingram on 3 July 2008, what steps it is taking to ensure that there is no discrimination against families in the payment of allowances where the recommendations in Getting it Right for Every Child in Kinship and Foster Care on establishing informal arrangements are followed.

Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15325 on 19 August 2008 which refers to the criteria for payment of an allowance to approved kinship carers of Looked After Children and for whom the local authority has a statutory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of the child and to the response to question S3W-15326 on 18 August 2008, which refers to the wider support of the Scottish Government for all kinship carers.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Kinship Care

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-14851 by Adam Ingram on 3 July 2008, whether, in relation to the commitment in its concordat with COSLA to pay approved kinship carers of looked after children a weekly allowance, it will ensure that progress on this commitment is reported annually by COSLA for all children being looked after both formally and informally.

Fiona Hyslop: Progress against each of the commitments in the concordat will be reported annually by COSLA. The commitment only covers arrangements made for kinship carers of children who are Looked After as defined in the answer to question S3W-15325 on 19 August 2008.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Kinship Care

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria for payments for kinship carers have been agreed between it, COSLA, local partners and stakeholders.

Fiona Hyslop: The commitment within the concordat is to pay approved kinship carers of Looked After Children a weekly allowance at the equivalent rate as paid by the local authority to its foster carers.

  We continue to support the payment of allowances based on TFN’s recommended rate of allowance. It is however up to individual local authorities to decide on an appropriate rate of allowance based on their local need and priorities.

  Looked After children are those who are children subject to:

  A supervision requirement made by a children’s hearing under section 70 of the 1995 act.

  A child accommodated by the local authority under section 25 of the 1995 act.

  An order made or authorisation or warrant granted by virtue of chapter 2, 3 or 4 of Part II of the 1995 act.

  A placement made by a local authority which has taken parental responsibility under section 86 of the 1995 act (to be repealed shortly under the Adoption and Children Act 2007).

Prison Service

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects an announcement to be made by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice on the recommendations of the Scottish Prison Commission.

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government welcomes the Prisons Commission’s challenging report. We have made it clear since the report was published on 1 July that this is a priority for the Scottish Government. We are considering how the report’s recommendations would contribute to the delivery of a coherent penal policy and will produce a detailed response as soon as possible.

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why the list of species prohibited from being released into the wild, as set out in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, has not been updated since the end of the last consultation on its content.

Michael Russell: Since the consultation on amendments to Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 closed in 2007, discussions have been continuing with stakeholders and scientific advisors to ensure that any changes to the schedule are appropriate and effective.

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the list of species prohibited from being released into the wild, as set out in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, was last updated.

Michael Russell: Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 was last updated by The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (Variation of Schedule) (Scotland) Order 2005 (SSI 2005 No. 308), which was made and laid before the Scottish Parliament on 7 June 2005 and came into force on 30 June 2005.